Scenes From An Elevator
by Rex Madison
Summary: The latest KOF hosts have paid for everyone's lodging - and put them all in the same place. One hotel; two elevators; fifty-plus fighters. This...could get messy. (Ficlet set. Rated PG-13.)
1. Chapter 1

Notes

Happy New Year, KOF peoples! ...didn't mean to make this a New Year fic though, lol (it has nothing to do with the holiday). I just wanted to put out something else before the end of the year. A new drabble series seemed like the best - and funnest - way to do it.

The concept is simple: every KOF contestant at one swanky hotel. (I don't know if any sports organization would actually _do_ this...but it's feasible, right?) With that many fighters crammed in one spot, they're bound to cross paths at the elevators sooner or later. I figured this'd be a good way to tell stories with people who aren't usually together, people who _should_ be together...and people who really, _really_ shouldn't.

...that's it, that's all the setup you're getting. ;) Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Kyo Kusanagi, Scion of the Flame and winner of countless King of Fighters tourneys, stumbled into the hotel looking like he'd just had his ass kicked. His hair was mussed; his shirt was untucked; his jeans and jacket were ripped. Breathing hard and straightening his clothes, he stalked through the lobby with a dismal scowl, drawing the attention of a few stray people inside. But he made it to the elevators unquestioned, looking forward to finally getting some peace.

Unfortunately, he got Iori Yagami instead.

The Flame of the End looked positively domestic, wearing a t-shirt and jeans and holding a bucket of ice. He glanced over at Kyo, then turned back to the door with a disgusted little sigh. "Well hello to you too, asshole," Kyo grumbled as he stepped up beside him, both of them waiting for the elevator like anyone else.

"The hell happened to you?"

"The _fans_ happened," he muttered. "Who the hell leaked the news that this's where KOF is staying⁇"

"Tch. Tell me about it. I tried setting one on fire to scare them off, but that just made the rest of them applaud."

"Sounds about right," said Kyo, as the door opened. The two stepped into the elevator and hit their buttons at the same time, his finger landing on 17 while Iori's pressed 21. _Great._ "What about you? What're you doing down here?"

"The _ice machine's_ broken," Iori growled. "And Vice and Mature are being whores."

Kyo smirked. "Ah, so _that's_ how you pay travel expenses these days."

"...not _actual_ whores," Iori sighed, rolling his eyes, as the elevator started to move.

"Hey, what's the deal with them anyway? I thought they were dead."

"They _are_ dead. And they _still_ won't leave me alone."

"I dunno, man. You don't seem to mind much. You sure hang around with 'em a lot."

" _They_ hang around with _me_. ...I'm beginning to think they're my curse."

"Sure they are," Kyo snickered.

"Hmph. What about you, then?" Iori countered. "You've been pretty close to _your_ old crew lately."

"Who, Beni and Daimon? Ah, they're just good fighters. And not _total_ pricks."

"'I dunno, man. You hang around with 'em a lot,'" Iori sneered.

"...look, don't start with me, okay? I just wanna get back to my room."

" _You_ started it, actually. And you're lucky I'm just sniping at you. I should be killing you where you stand."

Now Kyo rolled his eyes. "Dude, _when_ are you gonna come off it with that shit? You're starting to lose your credibility."

"And _you're_ about to lose a limb."

"...just try me, asshole."

Iori threw his bucket aside, scattering ice all over the floor. "You wanna settle things now, huh⁇" he snapped, his hands lighting up with purple flame. "Then let's - "

*ding*

"Whoops! Looks like that's my stop," said Kyo, as the doors opened on the 17th floor. He clambered off calmly as Iori scowled, clenching his burning fists with rage. "Some other time, eh?"

"Get back in here, you fuc-"

And the doors shut.

Kyo laughed as he started down the hall, feeling like he'd just won a fight (instead of run away from one). Meanwhile Iori stared at the door for a few seconds, then sighed and started scooping up ice cubes.

* * *

Terry walked out of his room wearing a three-piece suit and a grin, heading for a hot date with Blue Mary. Since the tournament staff was springing for lodging this year, he had plenty of leftover cash to treat her to a nice dinner, supposedly at the best place in the city. Like everyone else, she was staying elsewhere in the hotel, but they'd agreed to meet in the lobby to keep up a little mystique.

He was almost whistling as he hit the elevator button. So when it opened and revealed none other than Shun'Ei, he greeted him like an old friend. (Shun'Ei didn't return the favor, but that didn't phase him.)

"So how's KOF treating you, newbie?" Terry asked, as the doors closed. "You liking it so far?"

"I'm not liking everybody calling me 'newbie'," he grumbled. "...especially since I seem to be able to beat so many of them."

"Hah! Yeah, you've definitely got some skills, new blood," Terry admitted, patting him on the back. "'Course, it only makes sense. You're getting taught by Master Tung, the greatest _sensei_ around!"

"True enough. He's a good one," Shun'Ei gave him.

"He taught me in my youth too, you know. And my brother...and Geese...some of the best in the world," he bragged.

Shun'Ei couldn't help but smirk at that. "...yeah, that kinda made me nervous, actually."

"Huh? Howcome?"

"'Cause none of you have won a King of Fighters since it switched over to teams," he pointed out.

Terry blinked. "...oh. Well, uh...yeah, maybe not, but...well it _is_ a team effort, you know."

"You saying all your teams sucked?"

"What? No!" he exclaimed, frowning. "It's just that - "

"Didn't stop K' and Maxima," Shun'Ei went on. "Won three years in a row with different partners, right? Benimaru's won with three completely different teams. There was even that year the _Ikaris_ won. None of them were taught by Tung Fu Rue."

"Hey, who are you even insulting here!?" Terry snapped.

"Nobody, really," said Shun'Ei with a shrug. "I'm just saying, great _senseis_ don't make great fighters. We've gotta do it on our own."

At that point the elevator reached the bottom floor. Before he left, Shun'Ei tempted fate one more time by patting Terry on the back. "Don't worry, champ. I'm sure you'll get another someday." With that he left the elevator and walked off, not even bothering to smile.

Terry stayed dumbstruck so long the doors started to close. Scowling, he stuck out his hand to keep it open, then passed through it in a huff. When he reached the lobby, Mary, in a stunning red dress, grinned as she saw him and waved a hand. The grin turned into a frown as he approached, though. "What's wrong, Terry?"

"Some of the newbies're a little _cocky_ around here," he grumbled.

"Hehe. And you're not...?"

* * *

Leona and Kim happened to reach the hotel doors at the same time. They nodded at each other; he held the door for her, she nodded again. They walked silently through the lobby, not speaking or even looking at each other. Then they reached the elevators, and Leona pressed the button.

They waited silently for the elevator to arrive.

When it did, they got in silently, pressing buttons for different floors.

They waited silently for the elevator to rise, each staring straight ahead with dead expressions on their faces.

When it did, Kim got off the elevator, they nodded again, and he walked off.

The door closed, and Leona waited silently again, her expression completely unchanged.

* * *

Athena left her top-floor suite late in the evening, humming a happy little tune. She was _so_ glad she'd decided to upgrade to the penthouse suite. Not for _her_ sake (of course), but because she'd organized a meet-and-greet there for all the women of KOF. A few of them grumbled that she was just showing off, but most of them showed up, and they were having lots of fun. The party was still going on, in fact; she was only leaving to make a snack run.

She pressed the elevator button and waited, still humming her song...

...and the doors opened to reveal Xanadu's terrifying visage.

"Aah!" she gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth. Then she scolded herself and smiled. "Mr., uh, Xanadu, right?"

"No..."

Athena blinked. "Oh. I'm...sorry? ...uhm, do you have a top-floor suite too?"

" _No._ "

Now Athena cringed. "Errr...alright then. Lemme just squeeze in here..."

She stepped into the elevator, edging around Xanadu (who did not move). She pressed the button for the lobby, then backed up and waited with a smile.

It was a long trip to the lobby. Athena stayed silent for a moment, not knowing what to say; from what she knew about him, he'd start talking soon enough anyway. ...but he didn't. He simply stood stone still, staring straight at the doors. About five floors down, Athena decided she really ought to say _some_ thing. "So...how do you like the - "

"Bats."

She blinked again. "Excuse me...?"

"The hotel has a bat problem," Xanadu began, not turning to look at her. "...there aren't enough of them."

"Oh, my. Uhm...bats can be cute, I suppose..."

"You don't understand," he went on, shaking his head (but still not looking). "The bat is the animal for the ages. The beginning and end of all things. Any building whose attic isn't swimming with bats is a dire, unholy place."

"You've...you've been in the attic...?"

"There are bats that can swim, actually. We call them The Creatures. But most bats fly through the air, like any liberated being. It should be the goal of all things to take to the skies, from the holiest bat to the most pitiful unicorn. For we have claimed all the knowledge we can from the surface. All that is left now is to rise above the Earth, seek knowledge in the planes of the ether...and pray it doesn't burn us to cinders for finding it."

 _...whoa. Holy shit._

At that point, somewhere around floor 10, the elevator stopped and opened to let on another passenger. But the woman looked inside, shrieked, and stayed there, letting it pass. (Xanadu continued talking the entire time.)

"Do _you_ know the mockery of the clouds?"

An outright stare. "...uhm...what?"

"The Great Cloud Conspiracy," he said reverently. "Surely you've heard of it."

"Err...well, no, I can't say that I have..."

"Hmm. You may have become part of it," Xanadu deduced. "Are your eyes violet?"

"...yes?"

"Is your hair flowing?"

"I _think_ so."

"Are your wrists slender, your arms toned?"

"You _could_ look at me, you know."

"Is there a birthmark at the top of your inner thigh?"

"Well don't look at _that_."

The elevator dinged. Athena looked at the counter; floor 1. _Thank god._ "Well, it was really nice chatting with you, Mr. - whoeveryouare - "

"Have the clouds ever rained on you?"

"...er, yes, but - "

"Hailed on you?"

" _Yes_ , but I really - "

"Punched you in the face?"

" _...what⁇_ "

The door opened. No one was out there; they would close again soon. But Xanadu _would not stop talking_. She couldn't leave without getting around him, and she knew he'd take offense. She just didn't know if he'd rip out her heart or _his own_.

"Ahh, good. You're safe," said Xanadu, nodding (but _still_ not turning around). "You must stay vigilant, though. The Conspiracy is always afoot, and the bats won't help you forever. Did I ever tell you about the time I...?"

Athena Teleported straight through him and into the lobby, just as the doors started closing. "Sorry! Gotta go...!" she tossed over her shoulder, as the doors eased shut.

It didn't even slow him down.

* * *

 _OhcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohCRAP..._

Shingo Yabuki had just gotten back, and he _really_ needed to pee. But at his door, he found out that he couldn't find his card key, and he didn't know anybody else on this floor. Why hadn't he met more people during these things⁇ His only option now was the public restroom, back down in the lobby. ...well, that or the fern down the hall.

He ran back to the elevators and stabbed the Down button about ten times. Not that it made them go any faster, of course. Shingo watched the counters desperately, trying to _will_ them to get lower. _C'mon c'mon c'mon... COME on... YES‼_

The door opened to reveal Gang-Il and Luong, sticking their tongues down each others' throats.

Shingo's jaw dropped. He wanted to bolt - but he couldn't look away. The two were all over each other, tangled in a mess on the wall and groping each other under their clothes. She had already unzipped her pristine white-and-purple dress, and he had taken his shirt off (or else not worn one at _all_ ). They kept going for several seconds before noticing Shingo; they eyed him for a second, then went right back to it, letting the door close.

"...still gotta pee," he mumbled, stabbing the button again. The sex dungeon wouldn't be back up for a while, but the other elevator was close now. Shingo watched, fit to burst, as it crawled to his floor. 5 floors left...4...3... _2_... _1...!_

The door opened to reveal Billy Kane and Ryuji Yamazaki...sticking their tongues down each others' throats.

"...that's it, I'm going in the fern."

* * *

End Notes

...oohhhh, I'm gonna catch some flak for that one. XD

Well, I got in one last story. Five of them, even! With that, I'm gonna go on a brief hiatus. Something like a month, I think. I've got like fifteen new games to play since the holidays, and I can't multitask to save my life anymore. When I come back, I plan to start at least one longfic; here's hoping it's one of the ones in my profile, lol. :P

See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Notes

Hey everybody! Rex again, making his second (third?) comeback! :P

Seriously though, this update is _way_ overdue. I really did intend for this to be a series when I posted it, not a quick throw-together for New Year's (or at least not _just_ ). Finally making good on that intention, and it feels good. :) These drabbles/ficbits still go pretty quick for me, too, so I'll try to remember to take more time for them in future.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

K' never did like going outside.

He considered it a necessary evil, like talking to people or paying for things. Sometimes to get what you wanted, you had to do something unpleasant. But that didn't mean he had to _like_ it. He especially didn't like it right now, when he was trapped in a hotel with King of Fighters fans practically surrounding the place. That combined all three of those evils: leaving the room, dodging the fans, and paying the medical bills when you inevitably punched out someone that pissed you off.

By the time he got back, though, he'd come up with a solution. When he got out of the cab just outside the hotel lobby, he immediately set himself on fire. It didn't hurt _him_ , or even his clothes, but it worked as an _excellent_ deterrent for the crowds. ...of course it wasn't something he could do every day, but these were KOF fans. They not only knew what K' could do - they actually cheered when he did it.

Extinguishing himself at the entrance, he went past the nervous-looking doorman with a rare smile on his face. It lasted him all the way through the trip through the lobby, where the fans were much more subdued (mostly because of the armed, unusually-beefy guards everywhere). By the time he reached the elevators it had mostly passed, as he stopped thinking about his triumph and started thinking about relaxing.

So he was completely off guard when one opened to reveal K9999.

"...what the hell!?" _This guy's supposed to be dead‼_ Indeed, the ultimate Kyo clone had gone missing since the 2001 tournament, presumed and for all intents and purposes dead. But despite the drab new clothing and the larger, hooded cloak, K' knew without a doubt that this was him. Apparently this King of Fighters really _was_ taking all comers.

K9999 had a more subdued reaction. His eyes went wide for a moment, then narrowed as he grinned and stepped out of the lift. He looked at K'; K' looked at him. They stared each other down.

"Well look who it is," K9999 finally spoke. "...the prototype."

"What the hell're _you_ doing here?"

"Same as you!" he laughed. "Fighting, for fun and profit!"

"You think I _want_ to be here?" K' growled.

"Yeah, I do," his rival said smugly. "I've kept tabs on you and your jackass friends, ever since NESTS died and we went into hiding. And 'hiding' is a pretty loose term for you, isn't it? You show up at _every one_ of these things, even while you're crying 'I don't wanna, I don't wanna!'. Makes me sick."

"So I should've done what you did?" K' countered. "Fall off the map for two decades, then come back like nothing happened?"

"Do whatever you want, man - just _shut up_ about it," K9999 shot back. "Fight, don't fight. Hide, don't hide. But pick one and _accept it_. Give yourself time to _live_ life instead of just pissing and moaning about it."

"You think I'm gonna take life advice from you⁇"

"You gotta take it from _some_ body. You seem to suck at it."

" _Shut the hell up_ , you little - "

"Ah ah ah," said K9999, wagging a finger. "Remember _those_ guys." The finger pointed off to the side, at one of the beefy guards in the lobby - who was already reaching for his weapon.

K' clicked his tongue, snuffing out the flames that had appeared in his hands.

"I don't feel like screwing with you right now anyway," his enemy sneered. "Maybe some other time. Maybe we'll meet in the tournament, who knows. In the meantime? _Live_ a little, buddy." He walked away and started through the lobby - but then tossed back, "Find a girlfriend or something! How 'bout that Kula chick? She digs you!"

By then, though, K' had recovered his cool.

"Nah, she's too young for me," he called back calmly as he stepped into the lift. "Might see if Angel made it here, though. Pretty sure she's dumped _your_ ass by now."

K9999's eyes narrowed...but by the time he whipped around, the door had already closed.

* * *

Kula _loved_ going outside!

She'd had to spend _all day_ up in her room, going over icky paperwork with Maxima. _Then_ she'd had to wait for K' to get back, 'cuz she'd got mad and froze the door and Maxima couldn't get it open. Now K' had _finally_ melted the ice and she was free! She'd immediately skated by him and into an elevator, eager to get some sun (yeah, she didn't get it either).

As it crawled down to the lobby, she thought about what she should do. Go get ice cream? Naah, she was too full (for once). Go to the pool? No, the water'd be all warm and yucky. See some sights? Not many sights around here, really...

Then it hit her - the _fans_! The fans were probably still outside! She'd wanted to talk to them every time she'd seen them, but K' and Maxima wouldn't let her. Now that she'd managed to ditch her _moms_ , she could do what she wanted! (She knew what their problem was, anyway. She was no dummy; she knew about 'stranger danger'. She _also_ knew that she could turn anyone that touched her into a human popsicle.)

Finally the elevator let out. She bounded outside - then saw Sylvie Paula Paula, getting out of the other one at the exact same time.

She looked at Kula.  
Kula looked at her.  
They stared each other down.

"...elevator race?"

"30th floor⁇"

"You're on‼"

They jumped back into their lifts, giggling like schoolgirls (though neither of them actually _were_ ).

* * *

Ryo Sakazaki walked warily down the hall, looking like a fool. ...or at least _he_ thought he did, anyway. He was going out to a club tonight with King, and Robert had decided to "help him" pick out his clothes. He'd put him in a white undershirt, a blue buttondown, and navy blue chinos (he knew he shouldn't have packed those). Robert had assured him, though, that whether _he_ thought so or not, _King_ would think he looked good. That was good enough for Ryo, who knew nothing about picking out clothes.

Nobody laughed at him as he went to the elevators, lifting his spirits a bit. But when he got there, he found another problem: Meitenkun, leaning on his pillow on the door, fast asleep.

"Uhh...Meitenkun? Hello?"

Unfortunately, he'd pressed the button before realizing Meitenkun was there. So while the _voice_ didn't wake him up, the door opening - and sending him tumbling into the elevator - did.

"Whoa! You alright, kid⁇" Ryo gushed, rushing to his side.

Luckily, the kid was okay. (His head had landed on his pillow.) In fact he didn't even _startle_ awake; he just sort of yawned and looked up at the man. "...oh. Hey, Ryo. ...that's right, right?"

"Right," said Ryo awkwardly, as he got into the lift and pressed the button for the lobby. Once Meitenkun got to his feet they were off. "Wow, so you really do sleep that much? ...no offense, I just thought it was a rumor."

"Not always," Meitenkun yawned. "It just comes and goes."

Ryo shook his head. "Man...you must be one hell of a fighter, if you - " He blinked. "Uhhh...Meitenkun?"

Meitenkun had _stopped_ blinking.

"Dude? You in there⁇" He had to snap his fingers before the kid woke up.

"...oh. Sorry, Ryo," he groaned, clapping his face with his free hand. "I didn't get my whole ten hours last night."

"I can see that," said Ryo, his eyebrow raised. "You doing okay with the tourney beat, kid? It can be a bit rough when you're young."

"Yeah, I'm alright. I don't really stress much when I've gotten my sleep."

"Hmm. In that case, maybe you don't stress _enough_ ," Ryo reasoned. "You should exercise more! It'll keep the blood flowing, help keep your head in the game."

"I get enough exercise with the Master, thanks." Then he looked at Ryo oddly and chuckled a bit.

"Heh, what's funny...?"

"Oh, nothing. Just, _you_ telling _me_ to get exercise."

Ryo's brow furrowed. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Well, y'know. You're just so...you're so..."

"So _what_?" he asked, frowning. He looked down at himself; he didn't seem so _anything_ to him. "You saying I'm out of shape or something?"

He looked back up to see Meitenkun fast asleep.

"Hey! At least finish insulting me first‼" he snapped, reaching out and shaking his shoulder -

\- and the hand with the pillow flew at a hundred miles an hour, belting Ryo in the face and sending him unconscious to the floor.

Meitenkun didn't even wake up.

Luckily the elevator reached the lobby and dinged, bringing him around right as the door opened. He blinked and looked around, then saw what he'd done and cringed. "...aw, man, not again. Hey, can I get a medic over here...?"

* * *

Leona and Choi happened to reach the hotel doors at the same time. He tipped his hat, she nodded; he went first, but held the door out behind him. They walked silently through the lobby, not speaking or even looking at each other. Then they reached the elevators, and Leona pressed the button.

...Choi wasn't so good with silence, though.

"So how's Ikari doin' lately?" he asked.

Leona didn't respond.

"Yer not after _us_ next, are ya?" he joked.

Leona didn't respond.

"I like yer new top!" he tried.

Leona narrowed her eyes, but didn't respond.

The elevator arrived. They got in silently, pressing buttons for different floors. It only took a few seconds for Choi to start speaking again.

"Yer, uh...kinda like one of those British soldiers, huh?"

She didn't respond.

"You know, the ones that can't say anything no matter what?"

She didn't respond.

He shook his hips and waved his arms. He danced around like a goofball (that is, how he always does). He did a handstand on his claw, digging the talons into the hardwood. Still Leona didn't say a word...so he started poking at her instead.

"Oop! ...oop!" he giggled, his claw getting closer to her with each poke. "Oop! Oop‼ Oo - "

Her hands moved in a circle with a bright blue flash. He didn't even see what happened - but he did see his claw fall apart, all four talons falling to the floor.

As Choi stared at it in shock, the elevator door opened. Leona got off and walked to her room, her expression completely unchanged.

* * *

 _OhcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohCRAP..._

Yuri Sakazaki had just gotten back, and she _really_ needed to pee. But when she got to her room, she found a _do not disturb_ sign on the door. ("Damnit, Mai, can't you just go back to Andy's room⁇" she whined.) Her only option now was the public restroom, back down in the lobby. ...well, that or the fern down the hall...but she _really_ didn't want to do that.

She ran back to the elevators and stabbed the Down button about ten times. She watched the counters desperately, trying to _will_ them to get lower. _C'mon c'mon c'mon... COME on... YES‼_

The door opened and she darted inside, stabbing the Lobby button this time. The lift started down at a fast clip, and she started to relax. Looked like she was going to make it, thank goodness.

Then, between the first and second floors, the elevator groaned and shook to a stop.

"...no. No‼ Oh, you gotta be _kidding_ me‼" Yuri machine-gunned the intercom button; when nobody answered within three seconds, she started beating on the door. "Hey‼ Hello⁇ Anyone!?"

Naturally the intercom clicked to life a second later. _"Everything okay in there?"_ the attendant asked.

"No! The elevator's stuck and I _really_ gotta pee...!" (She blushed at the words - but this was an emergency, damnit.)

 _"Sorry for the inconvenience, miss. We'll get someone there as soon as we can."_

"How soon'll that be⁇"

The attendant didn't respond.

"Hello? Hello⁇ _...crap!_ " she groaned, hitting the speaker. She started jogging in place, certain she was going to pop. _Don'tthinkaboutit, don'tthinkaboutit, think about ANYTHING else...your meditation! Do your meditation. Think of absolutely nothing. ...aaaahh..._ Yuri started to drift...

"Can I be of assistance, miss?"

She jumped with a yelp, nearly peeing her pants. It was a different voice this time; she looked around foolishly, then at the intercom. "Is someone there?" she asked it.

"Yes..."

Okay, that was definitely _not_ the intercom. "Where are you...?"

And that's when the emergency plate in the ceiling started to move.

She outright screamed, looking up in absolute horror. And it only got worse when the plate moved aside, revealing Xanadu's terrifying visage.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Yuri cried.

"Going for a ride," said Xanadu calmly. "I've always enjoyed dark, moving places..."

"Well get out of here!" she snapped. "Just - just put the plate back and go!"

"But I can climb the cable," he told her, tilting his head. "I can take you with me, up to and outside a door. You could break it open with your _ki_ , then leap across to safety."

"I'll take my chances with the staff, thanks," said Yuri, her arms crossed.

"I thought you needed to urinate?"

"...not anymore..." said Yuri, her cheeks cherry red.

* * *

End Notes

Why yes, Xanadu _is_ going to be the mascot of this series ^_^

Well peoples, I've got my writing mojo back - but I'm as indecisive as ever. To that end, I've decided to let _you_ guys-and-gals pick my next project for me! I've recently learned about polls here at FFN, so I made one with all my ideas on it. Head over to my profile page to vote, and to see what the ideas are in the first place. I'll leave voting open for a week or so, then start working on the winner!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to catch up on my reading. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Notes

Surprise, everybody! I really _did_ follow in Rob's footsteps :D

Yeah, I know this one's been a long time coming. I didn't actually think of this as a "series" at first; it just felt like a collection of snippets, self-contained and easy to update whenever I wanted. But posting them five at a time shot that theory to hell _real_ quick. :P Since I couldn't post one right away, I mainly worked on them in groups, making this just like any other fic. Plus I unintentionally established some themes I had to revisit, heh. (Don't worry - these still stand on their own.)

But I did it! I finally finished this thing, finally got back out of my comfort zone. ...whether I did a decent job of it is for you to decide. ;)

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

For K', Iori and Kyo, the crowds outside had been a nightmare.

Ash Crimson had no such problem.

Despite his pivotal role in tournaments prior, nobody seemed to remember him. He walked through the fans outside with ease, only getting a few quickly-passing stares at his freckled, feminine face. It was annoying, really. Granted, it made sense; erasing yourself from existence had to have _some_ consequences. But after he'd woken up gods-knew-where, traveled gods-knew-how-far to get back to civilization, he'd come back to find it just as he'd left it. Didn't that mean the damage was undone? Didn't that mean people should hate him? Fear him? Maybe even _revere_ him?

Not that he was here for the accolades, of course. Not now, not ever; almost the opposite, really. What he was really here for was at this hotel, up on one of the penthouse suites. The only person in this barely-redeemable world he'd cared about enough to look for.

Ash entered the hotel and went straight for the elevator. A guard started to approach him, but he held up his fighters' pass without a word, backing him down. From there Ash entered the lift, pressed the button, and took deep breaths as it rose, more nervous than he'd been in quite some time.

So it didn't help that, when the doors opened, he found the one he was looking for right outside.

Elisabeth Blanctorche stood in front of him, staring at him blankly. She wore a sleek grey pantsuit, obviously off to some business meeting. In true Betty fashion, though, she'd kept the top two buttons open, granting a peek at the white shirt and cleavage within. Her hair was impeccably styled, and she carried an expensive-looking purse; meanwhile Ash, wearing a maroon polo and black trousers, looked like he'd just gotten off the bus. (Which he had, actually. Not much money to be made in coming back from the dead.)

They stared at each other for several seconds, hers seeming more and more shocked as his settled into a smile. "Oh, Betty," he finally breathed. "You look - "

" _Ash‼_ "

She leaped into his arms, knocking him back a bit. Holding on for dear life, she held her head over his shoulder, silently sobbing. Now it was Ash's turn to be shocked. "...was it something I said?"

"You're back! You're _back_!" she cried, shocking him a whole lot more. "After all these years, you're back...!"

"Wha - but that - " He pulled away and gaped at her. "You know who I am⁇"

"I do," she said happily, wearing a very un-Betty-like grin. "Everyone else forgot. Everyone _should_ have forgot. But I...you were too important to me."

Laughing, Ash picked her up and spun them in a circle. Just seeing Betty had made his night - but this made his whole lifetime. "I don't believe this! It's incredible! ...I'm not alone...!"

Then the elevator doors started to shut.

Snorting, Elisabeth stuck her hand in between them, forcing them to reopen. Then she led Ash out into the hall, still grinning that wonderful grin. "Come in, come in! There's just so much...!"

"And your previous engagement?" Ash pointed out with a smirk.

"Nothing has ever been so cancelled," she laughed. "Duo's in his room, but Shen's still here. He's keeping an eye on some things."

"Shen...?" Ash mumbled, caught off guard once again.

"That's right," Betty told him, her smile gentler now. "There's a lot of people you have to meet, Ash...and a lot of people who have to meet _you_."

* * *

"You give that back right now!"

"Over my dead body!"

Just outside the elevators on the first floor, two of the tourney's smaller competitors were behaving _very_ much like boys. They were squabbling and shoving and carrying on, playing tug-of-war with a small object only they could see. The noise soon attracted the attention of the concierge, who walked across the lobby towards them - then stopped dead in his tracks. He stared in disbelief for a moment before shaking his head and moving in.

"Sirs! What is the meaning of this!?" he cried.

The two glared up at him in annoyance.

"He took my candy bar!" one shouted.

"It's _not_ your candy bar!" the other cried.

"Yes - it - _is_!" the first one claimed, stomping his foot as he looked up at the concierge. "I put my money in the vending machine, and the stupid thing wouldn't vend! So I went out looking for someone to help - and then I find _this_ jerk walking around with two of them!"

"They're not even the same candy!" the second complained.

"Well who says they're all in order!?" the first lashed out.

"Sirs, please, calm down!" said the concierge nervously. Small or not, he knew these were registered fighters. "You're disturbing the other guests...!"

"Well he's disturbing my stomach!"

"And _you're_ disturbing my _face_!"

The two went back at it, making even more noise than before. The concierge tried a couple more times to calm them down, then steeled his courage and stepped forward. "Sirs, if you don't stop making a scene, I'll have security escort you out," he warned...as he put his hands on their shoulders.

The two stopped, slowly turned, and looked at him with death in their eyes.

"You don't want to do that," said Tung Fu Rue.  
"Not a good idea, sonny," said Chin Gentsai.

Instantly the concierge backed off, breaking out in a cold sweat. "N-no, sirs! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he gushed, his hands up in front of him. "But _please_ \- can you settle this? Quietly...?"

"Oh, _I'll_ settle it for you," said Chin with a grin.

He then plucked the candy out of a distracted Tung's hands, shoving him into the concierge for good measure. As they stumbled backwards, Chin raced into the elevator, hammering the button for his floor. Tung recovered right as the doors started to close - and with a sharp _kiai_ , he flew into his Shin Shippu punch, streaking over the carpet and passing through them just in time.

As the elevator rose, the concierge heard the sounds of vicious fighting slowly fading. Shaking his head again, he picked up his walkie-talkie to alert the staff. "All floor security, report to the elevators. We have an incident involving - "

A distant explosion.

"...yeah, that," he sighed and clicked off.

* * *

Yashiro Nanakase had just gotten back, and he _really_ needed to pee.

...when he got past the front doors, though, he did _not_ go for the elevators. Instead he made a beeline for the first floor restroom, like a _sane_ person. He made it there without incident and did his duty; then he washed his hands (hygiene is important after all) and left with a smile on his face.

As he went to the elevators, the smile turned into a grin. The New Faces' new plan was going off without a hitch...and, even better, they had tonight off. He was looking forward to jamming with Shermie and Chris...and maybe tracking down Iori, and showing him who _really_ rocked. Heck, they might even go up and crash that idol chick's party. Let her hear some _real_ music for a change.

He pressed the call button, actually whistling to himself. The right elevator was closer, so he moved in front of it ahead of time, waiting for the doors to open...

...and then a blue-and-white blur barreled out of them.

It slammed into him before he even saw it coming. With a shout, Yashiro fell back to the floor, the blur going down with him on the way. His head hit the floor hard, exploding in pain; meanwhile the blur landed on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. For a second he just laid there, not really seeing anything as he desperately tried to breathe.

When he recovered, he saw Chris standing over him, his eyes wide.

"Chris? What the hell...!?" he groaned.

"Sorry, Yash! You okay?" Chris chirped.

"...think so," Yashiro muttered. Head hurt, but not too bad; still kinda warm where Chris fell on him. "Where were you going so damn fast?"

"Well, I really had to _pee_ ," said Chris, whispering the last word. "But the bathroom up in the room was broken, so I had to come down here."

"Oh. Heh, better get going then, huh?"

"Um."

Yashiro blinked. He looked up at Chris, who was clenching his fists to his mouth. He looked at Chris's pants...and yep, pretty wet down there. Then he looked down at his _own_ pants...at his open shirt.

And even on the twentieth floor, Shermie could still hear the scream.

* * *

The immortal, immoral Geese Howard. Founder of Southtown's underworld; godfather of King of Fighters. He stood with the air of confidence he always did, straight and tall with his arms folded on his chest. Even outside the tournament, he wore his iconic battle gear, the impeccable outfit befitting his majesty while emphasizing the warrior within.

And here he was, stuck in the elevator like any other chump.

At least it wasn't the _usual_ "stuck", he mused as he scowled at the world in general. The lift would go to, and stop at, any floor he wanted; it was _opening_ that was the problem. He had tried prying the doors apart with his bare hands, but that was beyond even him. He'd briefly considered blowing them apart with his chi...but then this thing'd be broken till the staff got off their ass and fixed it. And when they did, they'd make _him_ pay for it...or try to, at least.

Better to wait for a rescue now than deal with that headache later, he knew. So he reached down and pressed the button for the intercom, his shoe tapping impatiently within two seconds. Luckily, it answered in three.

"This is the elevator," it said.

"Ha ha, very cute," Geese sneered. "I'm stuck in this damn thing. It'll go between floors, but the doors won't open."

"I see. Interesting."

"That's one word for it," he muttered. "How long'll it take your people to get here?"

"Oh, I'd say...about three hours."

" _What!?_ "

"The dispatcher is otherwise occupied, and his relief won't arrive until nightfall."

"His relie - _you're_ the dispatcher‼"

"No, I'm the elevator."

Geese's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Look, pal," he growled. "You can pull this kind of crap on the _peasants_ all you want. But I won't - "

"This was not my intention," the elevator cut off. "I merely appreciated this atmosphere, and remained here longer than most. Inside, up above, hanging over the edge...until, finally, the spirit called to me."

"The _spirit_."

"Of course. All electromechanical objects have spirits inside them. You need not communicate with them; they communicate with you, all the time, through your tinnitus. Someday you too may understand these buzzwords, and wish to seek guidance from some construct or another. But you must be cautious: not all appliances are as forgiving as this one. The coffee maker will devour you alive."

Geese stood silently for three full seconds.

"...you're that kook Xanadu, aren't you."

"Not anymore," the elevator assured him.

"I already told you," Geese said coldly. "You can't join the Connection. You're insane."

"I never asked to join the Connection."

"Well you were _going_ to," he grumbled.

"Hahahaha...please. I have much loftier designs than your pitiful underworld. I seek the knowledge of the skies...to become one with the ether. ...I happen to be one with the elevator right now, but it's a temporary diversion."

"Look, I don't give a damn _where_ you are," said Geese, his voice low. "Either open these doors or I will tear them apart. Then I'll find you and do the same."

"The maintenance crew should be there within two hours and fifty-five minutes."

"Wrong answer," Geese snarled. " _Raging Storm‼_ "

The massive chi attack blasted the doors right off the hinges, throwing them across the elevators' alcove. Unfortunately the attack also hit the _rest_ of the lift, reducing large parts of it to kindling. Geese actually had to cancel the Storm and roll out of the way, narrowly avoiding a falling piece of rubble the size of his chest.

Geese stood up quickly, breathing hard as he stared at the wreckage. Then he turned towards the lobby, and found most of it staring at _him_. Calming himself, he shook his head, straightened his clothes, and walked to the front doors with the air of confidence he always did.

"Put it on the blue-haired freakshow's tab," he said on the way out. "...I'm getting a different hotel."

* * *

Leona and Chang happened to reach the hotel doors at the same time. They nodded at each other; he held the door for her, she nodded again. They walked silently through the lobby, not speaking or even looking at each other. Then they reached the elevators, and Leona pressed the button.

They waited silently for the elevator to arrive.

When it did, they got in silently, pressing buttons for different floors.

They waited silently for the doors to close...

...and then she was on him, leaping into his arms, him holding her tight as she stuck her tongue down his throat, her hands roaming, his hands squeezing, both of them moaning with need, her fingers digging into his shoulders, his palm curving around her ass, their faces flushed, their breathing heavy, their hands taking off her top -

When the doors opened, Leona got off the elevator, looking none the worse for wear. They nodded again, the doors closed, and she walked off, her expression completely unchanged.

...as she did, though, she checked her pockets and found a small note. She took it out and read it to find a room number, written in a messy and oversized script.

And Leona smiled.

* * *

End Notes

In case that last one threw you, it's part of one of those "themes" I mentioned earlier. Reread the first two chapters if you're curious ;) And yes, I _did_ write a fic where those two were platonic. Multiple continuities are where it's _at_ , yo.

So this one is... _probably_ done? You can never tell with me, lol. But I'll tell you one thing: next ficlet collection I release, I'm posting them _separately_. ...heck, I might still do that with this one, if I get an idea good enough.

See you next time!


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